Compressed-gas controlling and igninting mechanism for automobiles.



C. J. PEMBROKE. COMPRESSED GAS CONTROLLING AND IGNITING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-Z, 1912.

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C. J. PEMBROKE. COMPRESSED GAS CONTROLLING AND IGNITING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-2| 1912.

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CHARLES J. PEMBROKE, F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

COMPRESSED-GAS CONTROLLING AND IGNITING MECI-IANI M FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21), 193W.

Application fiIed August 2, 1912. Serial No. 712,934.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,.CHABLES J. PEMBROKE, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compressed-Gas Controlling and Igniting Mechanism for i-iutomobiles and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide a controlling mechanism for compressed gas used in conjunction with an automobile for the dual purpose of providing an explosive mixture of air and gas for either starting or assisting in starting the engine and for lighting the lamps. On account of the diminishing of the pressure of the gas supply during use, my invention further includes a suitable pressure equalizing valve mechanism, which automatically controls the supply and furnishes the proper amount of gas to form an explosive mixture, when it is used for starting or priming the engine, and also regulates the quantity flowing to the lamp burners. A further object of my invention is to provide a means of indicating the position of the pistons in their res ective cylinders by employing devices operated by current used for ignition purposes which acts as an indicator of the opcrativencss of each spark plug circuit and also informs the operator as to which cylinder to introduce the gas for the priming charge.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. 1

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a mechanism embodying my invenvention, the automobile parts such as the multi-cylinder explosive engine and the lamp system being shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration showing an arrangement of parts of the ignition system for indicating the position of the pistons in the different engine cylinders;

Fig. 3 is a front view partly in section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4; is a detail sectional view showing the valve, mechanism and the interior construction of the measuring chamber.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, the selecting valve head and the piston head of the measuring chamber being shown in operative po sitions;

Fig.6 is a detail sectional view of the valve mechanism taken on the line 6 -6 of Fig. 4-.

Similar reference characters throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

A gas controlling and igniting mechanism for automobiles, constructed in accordance with my invention, is used in. conjunction with an explosive motor, preferably one comprising a plurality of cylinders, for furnishing a firing charge and then igniting it and for supplying the gas to the lampburners and there igniting it. In the first instance the necessary power to start or assist in starting the engine is obtained and in the second the desired illumination is provided in the lamps of the vehicle. The device comprises generally a cylinder or chamber of suitable size adapted to hold a charge of gas and air of proper proportions and volume to be introduced into one or more of the engine cylinders. The air required is drawn into the measuring cylinder or chamber and the gas to be admixed therewith is permitted to enter said chamber through suitable valve controlled passages from a reservoir, or tank, in which said gas is compressed under comparatively high. pressure.

In the drawings I have shown a multicylinder engine diagrammatically comprising the cylinders ra, B, C and I), in which it will be understood reciprocate the various pistons attached to the usual crank shaft. The controlling device comprises the measuring cylinder or chamber, the diameter and length of which is proportionate to the corresponding dimensions of the engine with which it is used. This cylinder, indicated by 1 may be attached to any suitable support, as for instance the dashboard 2 of a motor vehicle, the outer end or head 3 of the cylinder being flanged for attachment thereto. At the inner end of the cylinder is the head i provided with a central outwardly projecting hub 5, from which also extends a tubular projection 6, near the outer end of which is a transverse air passage 7. The hub portion 5 of the head is provided with openings at equi-distant points in its circumference from which extend the pipes at, Z), c,

and d,'the extremities of which lead into the respective cylinders A, B, and C and D. Communicationbetween the interior of the cylinder or measuring chamber 1 and the several pipes leading-to the different cylinders is controlled by a rotatable and longitudinally movable head 8, having therein passages 99, one end of each of which leads into the cylinder 1 while their other extremities open laterally and when the head is retracted and adjusted in the proper position, open communication with two of the several cylinder feed pipes. The head 8 is mounted on a rod'10, the forward end of which projects through the head 3 of the cylinder, where it is provided with a knurled knob 11, havingan index plate 12 thereon, bearing numerals or other charactersdesignating the various cylinders of the engine, as shown in Fig. 3, where the numerals 1, 2, 3,.and l are employed. These cooperate with suitable index marks 13-43,

, on the head3; which indicate the proper position. of rotary adjustment of the knob 11 to cause the passages 9-9 in the head 8 to register with those two of the cylinder feed. pipes leadingto those cylinders in whichthe valves and pistons are so situated that'one piston is on compression stroke and one is in the position of firing. The rod 10 isalso provided with a stop shoulder 1 L withinthe cylinder 1 and cooperating with the piston therein for the purpose of moving the rod longitudinally. At the inner end of the rod is a perforated extension 15, the passage therein openingjat its inner end into the cylinder as indicated at 16, and at its outer end opening,'as indicated by 17, into alinement with the air passage 7, when these parts are moved inwardly to their novel position shown in Fig. 4:, permitting air to be drawn into the cylinder 1. These parts are also arranged so that when the rod 10 and piston head 18 are retracted, in the position shown .in Fig. 5, to admit gas for the explosive mixture, the air passage 7 will be closed. WVit hin the cylinder 1 is the piston head QOIIIPIIS- ing the frame 18,the packing ring 19, and

the adjustable plate 20 holding it in place which is secured by screws 21. The piston head is operated by a suitable handle attached to the frame 18, comprising parallel rods 22 united at their outer ends by the erally described is carried out in detail as follows; At one side, preferably beneath the cylinder 1, is a valve casing 24, containing the valve head 25, which is normally held against the seat by the pressure of gas behind it, as well as by a suitable spring. The valve head 25 is provided with a short stem 26, underlying a leaf spring 27, fitted in a shallow channel in the inner wall of the cylinder 1, and adapted to be depressed by the piston head 18, when this is moved outwardly, and to hold the valve 25 open while the piston head remains in this position.

The valve casing 24 is connected by the pipe 28 to the equalizing valve comprising the diaphragm casing 29, and the valve shell 30, containing the conical seat 31, with which cooperates the valve plug 32, the end of which extends into the chamber 29 and is attached to the diaphragm 33. The plug 32 is provided with a longitudinally extending passage 3 1, which, when the plug is retracted, opens communication from the pipe 40, beyond the .va lve seat 31 to the pipe 28. The valve casing 30 is also provided with recesses beyond the seat 31, containing a regulating spring 38 having an escutcheon 35 bearing against the end of the projecting stem 37 of the valve plug 32. The tension of the spring 38 may be adjusted by the screw threaded stem 39 to regulate the pressure in the diaphragm chamber to the proper amount required to form an explosive mixture in the measuring chamber 1. The supply pipe from which the gas for the explosive mixture is introduced under pressure into the valve casing 30 is indicated by 40, which opens into said casing in rear of the valve seat 31. From this arrangement of the parts, it will be seen that the gas under pressure, entering through the passage 4-0 entrains through the valve which is normally unseated by the spring 38 and working its way past the seat 31 and through the pussage 3-l, enters the diaphragm chamber 29, where, acting upon the diaphragm 33, it will cause the valve head 32 to be closed until the pressure beyond the diaphragm decreases below that desired, which is determined by adjustment of the stem 39 and the spring 38.

In. conjunction with an apparatus of this character, by reason of the different positions and directions of movement of the several pistons of the engine it is desirable to know in which cylinder, the piston is in firing position, and also the position of the next succeeding piston, or that piston which is then on the compression stroke. This being determined, the explosive mixture is then introduced into these cylinders by the pump action of the piston 18 in the cylinder 1. In carrying out this feature of my invention I provide broadly means for electrically indicating the position of the pistons in the engine cylinders. As one means by which this idea may be carried out, I employ current obtained from the ignition system of the engine and this I believe is preferable as by so doing the indications will also act as a tell-tale of the operative condition of each spark plug. In Fig. 2, the several circuits of the different spark plugs are shown as extending through a series, of separated contact points. In the diagram the source of electrical energy is supplied by a storage battery 45,.one side of Which, as indicated by 45, leads to the framework of the engine while the second conductor 4:5 extends to the timing device 46, which it will be understood, comprises a rotary element driven by the engine and containing contact plates a, b, 0 and d, cooperating with contact shoes a 6 0 (lg, each connected by a separate conductor to one member of a pair of contact members, a, b 0 d mounted on a suitable framepiece 47 and held in separated.positions to create a spark gap, the other member of each of said pairs of contacts being connected by wires 64 b 0 (i each leading to the spark plug of one of the cylinders A, B, G and D, as indicated at a, b, a, d.

I11 using the device as a means of starting or assisting the starting of the engine or motor the latter being at rest, the operator by first closing the ignition circuit, will observe which one of the sets of terminals a, b 0*, d, furnishes the spark. This will indicate to him the particular cylinder in which the piston is in the firing position. He will then know to what extent to adjust the knob 11 rotatively, to bring the number of the cylinder, indicated on the disk 12, into engagement with the index mark 13. At this time, the rod 10 is in its innermost position, as shown in Fig. 4; then when the piston head 18 is retracted by drawing the handle 23 rearwardly, air is sucked into the cylinder 1, through the passages 7, 17, 15 and 16, until the piston head reaches the limit of its rearward movement, when it contacts with the stop 14-, causing the rod 10 to be moved rearwardly, the air passages-7 and 17 being closed, while the passages 99' in the head 8 will lie in the plane of two of the feed charge pipes a, b, 0, (Z. The retraction of the piston head 18 depresses the spring 27 and opens the valve 26, affording direct communication through the passage 28 to the outer side of the diaphragm chamber 29, and serving to reduce the pressure therein, permitting the valve plug 32 to be opened and the desired quantity of gas received from the supply tank through the passage 40 to flow into the chamber 1, Where it intermingles with the air in said cylinder and may subsequently pass outwardly into the proper engine cylinder. The quantity of gas in the chamber 1 is determined by the pressure and when this reaches the desired point, the operation of the diaphragm closes the valve plug 32 against its seat 31. The operator now rotates the rod 10 slightly as before described and moves the piston head 18 inwardly, expelling the explosive charge from the cylinder 1 into the proper engine cylinders, through the passages 9-4? and as the piston reaches the limit of its inward movement, it engages the head 5 and moves it inwardly to discontinue communication between the engine cylinders and the measuring chamber and also close the feed pipes a, b, 0, (Z. A charge being thus admitted to theengine cylinders may be ignited when the ignition circuit is again closed.

The measuring cylinder may be used in two ways, either as a pump for compressing a charge into the firing and compression cylinders, when it will act as an engine starter, or it may be employed for simply injecting a firing charge without compressing it as an aid to the starting operation since when the engine is cranked and the driving shaft given a one quarter revolution said charge will be compressed and upon ignition will impart that force neces sary to rotate the crank shaft until the engine picks up its cycle of operation.

The selecting valve or head 8 which is set according to the indicator ofthe position of the pistons obviates the waste of any gas which otherwisewould be ejected into the two cylinders whose pistons are in the intake and exhaust positions and would escape through the opencylinder valves.

The gas employed for starting the engine, is also serviceable for use in lighting the lamps of an automobile and for this reason, I have shown the lighting pipe 50, leading from the valve casing 2 1, which may supply one or more burners indicated by 51. The flow of gas into the pipe 50 is controlled by the lighting valve 52, (see Fig. arranged in juxtaposition to the valve stem 39. The flame of the burner 51, may be ignited by an electric spark, produced by .any suitable circuit, as for instance, the wires 53 and 53, having the spark gap 53 in the area of the burner flame and leading from the engine frame to a contact 5 1 on the insulated support 47 to which is attached a switch arm 55 adapted to cooperate with an adjacent contact of one of the spark plug circuits. The use of the diaphragm 83 is compound in that it regulates the pressure of the gas both for the lamps and the measuring cylinder 1 whether these are operated separately or atv the same time. When the screw 52 is opened, if gas is not admitted to lamp burners in the proper quantities it may be regulated by the valve screw 39.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a starting apparatus for multicylinder engines, the combination with a 4 i misses measuring chamberahaving a plurality of cylinder outlets, a piston therein and a source of supply of explosive gas under and inwardly to close them when said'piston ismoved inwardly. r

2. The combination with a measuring cylinder provided with a plurality of outlets-and a piston therein, of a valve head con trolling the outlets operated by the piston at the extremes of its movement in opposite directions, andmeans for rotating the valve head to open aparticular one of the several outlets when said head is in one position of adjustment.

8. The combination, with a measuring cylinder, having a plurality of outlets, and means forexpelling its contents, of a valve head controlling said outlets capable of retary movement toselect a particular outlet and of reciprocatory movement to open and close it.

r 4. The combination with a gas engine havinga'pluralityro'f cylinders provided with pistons and means for indicating the-position of the one on the firing stroke, of a "starting apparatus, comprising a measuring chamber having a plurality of outlets leading to theengine cylinders, and a valve head cooperating with said outlets and arranged to open and close them in pairs and adapted to be adjusted when the engine is at rest, to open communication-with the cylinders in which the pistons are on the firing and compression strokes. I

5. In a starting apparatus for explosive motors the combination with a measuring cylinder, valve controlled outlets therein adapted to. be connected to the several cylinders of an engine, and a source of fluid pressure supply leading to the measuring cylinder of an automatic pressure regulator interposed between said sourceand cylinder,

a valve in the supply pipe and a normally closed valve between said regulator and cylinder, a piston in the latter and means operated by the piston for opening said valve.

6. In a starting apparatus for explosive motors,the combination with a measuring cylinder, valve controlled outlets therein adapted to be connected to the several cylinders of an engine and a source of fluid pressure supply leading to the measuring cylinder, a pressure regulator between said source and cylinder and a valve shutting oli' communication with the cylinder,'a piston reciprocating in the latter and means for opening the valve when the piston is retracted. V V

Tin a starting apparatus for explosive engines, the combination with a measuring cylinder having outlets therein and a piston reciprocating in the cylinder, of a valve head controlling said outlets and cooperatin g with the piston and by it moved alternately into operative and inoperative positions, said valve headvhaving a passageway leading from the measuring cylinder and an adjusting member for rotating the valve head to register said passageway with one of the outlets.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylinder, a head having a tubular extension provided with ports and a valve head therein provided with a passageway opening into the cylinder and rotatable to register it with one of the ports, of a rod for operating it extending axially of the cylinder, a piston head in the latter and piston rods connected thereto and a handle uniting their outer ends.

9. The combination with a cylinder having outer and inner heads, the inner head having a hub provided with outlet ports and an inlet port, a head therein having a passage adapted when the head is rotated to register with one or another of the outlet ports and also provided with a passagefor opening communication between the cylinder and inlet port, said head being movable longitudinally to open and close the inlet, of a piston in the cylinder, an operating rod attached to the valve head and extending longitudinally of the cylinder, having stop shoulders cooperating with the piston to shift it in opposite directions, a source of fluid pressure supply, a valve controlled by the movement of the piston for admitting the fluid to the cylinder when said piston is in retracted position.

CHARLES J. PEMBROKE.

Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, H. E. STONEBRAKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

